Starting From Memories
by Rivulet027
Summary: Ruby has trouble remembering the last twenty-eight years living in Storybrooke, but she does remember that she and Archie dated more than once. RubyArchie


Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Once Upon a Time. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.

A/N: Written for DJ_Rocca for the OuaT_exchange on LJ.

Starting From Memories:

The memories of who she was before the curse hit Ruby with one blinding flash of knowledge, she just knows. The last twenty-eight years in Storybrooke are cloudy and nearly out of reach. The only solid Storybrooke memories are the ones she made after Emma arrived. It makes her wonder how many times she and Granny have had the same arguments. Had she spent the last twenty-eight years relearning the same lessons over and over? Had she had the same friends all this time or were there people she wasn't as close to now, that she couldn't remember having been close with? Had she forgotten boyfriends?

She tries not to think about it, tries to concentrate on helping get the town back together. She throws herself into showing Belle all the nooks and crannies of their home. Still, she finds her eyes continually catching Archie's, that she doesn't want to look away. She's hyperaware of him when he's nearby, even if she can only remember being casual acquaintances with him. They were teetering towards friendship when the curse was broken, but now she can't help but think there might be something more there, that they've already been in a relationship neither of them remembers. How many lives had they lived in the last twenty-eight years?

She gets small flashes of her life, mostly arguing with Granny. She remembers bits and pieces of trips she planned. She remembers flirting at the dinner while she served. She remembers taking a class on how to mix drinks. She remembers bits and pieces of day trips to other towns and always coming back because she couldn't leave Granny, but that the one time she decided to leave for good Granny had ended up in the hospital quickly and she'd felt trapped ever since. She remembers Henry at different stages, growing older while the other children never aged, while she never aged. She wonders how she never found that odd before? She remembers the library wasn't always closed and she enjoys that it's open again. Mostly there are these memories of Archie that she's not sure what to do with. She remembers laughter, shared smiles, kisses, the way his hands felt against her skin, him looking at her as if she's the most wonderful person he's ever met, but she also remembers sadness, fear and arguments. She remembers leaving him more than once and yet she can't remember specific reasons.

She argues with herself, not sure if she should say anything, if she should delve deeper into the questions she has regarding him. She thinks he remembers too, at least it would explain the confusion on his face when he sees her. It's catching that confusion and a longing in his eyes, after she's learned she can be human and wolf without fear, that makes her decision for her. She takes his breakfast to him, drops into the seat opposite him and hands him his plate with a flourish.

He thanks her automatically, even as his eyes sweep over her. She can see questions forming in the way his lips quirk upwards and his eyebrows draw together, but instead he focuses down on his plate silently. Ruby presses her lips together, not sure where to start. How does one say I think we've dated, but I don't remember exactly and I think you remember too? Where do they start? Should they try again?

He picked up his fork, glances at her and then sets it down again.

Ruby rests her chin in her hands and tries for a safe subject, "So I have this theory about why we've all been obsessed with different cities while we were cursed."

"Different cities?" Archie presses.

"Well lately all of us kept talking about going to Boston, but I seem to remember you wanting to move to Tallahassee for awhile."

A small smile spreads Archie's lips, "I was looking into a job there and then decided not to leave."

"Why?" she pushes.

Archie blushes, stammers and looks down at his plate again. Ruby can't help but smile as she fights down the temptation to ask him if he'd fallen for her or another woman. She thinks she remembers it being her, but she can't be sure.

"The cities," she clarifies instead, "I think we could tell where our savior was and so we focused on that city."

Archie nods as he considers, "It makes sense."

She expects their conversation to stall out, turn awkward as they each wallow in the questions they're not sure they're ready to ask the other.

Archie surprises her and continues, "Maybe we longed to bring back our happy endings, or to find the ones we lost."

"You and Marco, Geppetto, are still friends," she points out, "And Granny and I always had each other."

"Yes, but our relationships could only be superficial. How can we share ourselves with another when we don't truly know ourselves?"

For a moment she worries he's misunderstood, that he thinks she's coming to him for counsel, but then he asks, "What do you remember?"

Several coy answers fly through her head, instead she tries honesty as she smiles and says, "I think there was a time I knew you better than I know you now."

Archie nods, "Yes. I believe so as well."

Ruby grins and pushes, "So…"

"So," Archie echoes looking hesitant.

"Date?" she suggests.

Archie's eyes roam over her. As the nervousness on his face retreats she can't help the smirk that spreads her face because he's looking at her in a way she only remembers. His eyes say he knows she's important to him. He takes her hand in his, "May I take you out to dinner?"

"I was asking you out," she clarifies, "I get off at four."

"I should be done by five."

"Pick me up at six?"

Archie smiles and nods, then intertwines their fingers as he asks, "And what does being asked out entail?"

"You don't remember?"

Archie's smile widens, "I'm not sure that I do."

"Me either," she admits, "But I think we'll figure it out."

"That sounds like a remarkably good idea."

"See you at six," Ruby smiles as she gives his hand a squeeze and gets back to work. She checks on her tables, makes sure the other waitresses don't need her help and heads back to the stockroom. She leans against the door and teases Granny, "You're slipping."

"Am I?"

"I have a date."

"With?"

"Archie."

Granny nods as she makes a mark on the clipboard she's holding. Ruby smiles. Granny glances over at her and gives her a half exasperated look. Ruby laughs.

"Flirting on the job again, why am I not surprised?" Granny teases.

"He's picking me up at six."

"Where are you going?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"You'll figure it out," Granny reassures as she goes back to checking their stock.

"Will I?" Ruby pushes.

Granny laughs and turns back to regard her, "A cricket and a wolf finding a happy ending in this town, sounds about right to me."

Granny's words and the impending date with Archie boaster Ruby's mood for the rest of the day, she has a bounce in her step and the hours seem to fly by. As she gets ready for their date she fondly remembers the flirting between her and Archie before he finished his breakfast and headed to work. He greets her at her door and gives her a rose. She grins and takes it from him, "The perfect shade of red."

He smiles, "So where are we headed?"

"I thought we might take a walk."

Their fingers intertwine as she smells her flower and they set off. They quickly establish that neither is sure where to eat being that Granny's is the best place in town.

"I should've offered to cook for you," they decide at the same time. Laughing they talk about their separate days. It's when they've established that Pongo is doing well that they decide to start comparing memories. He remembers more of the small details, her favorite flower and desert. She remembers more about the sex life they once had and are possibly working towards again. It isn't until she's brought it up twice that he catches on.

"You just enjoy watching me blush," he teases. She grins.

Eventually their talk of good memories winds down and they find themselves at Granny's for desert. It's while they're sharing a peach pie with ice cream that Ruby brings up the bad memories, "I remember getting frustrated and breaking up with you, multiple times."

Archie nods.

"I just can't remember why," she admits.

"I don't either," he agrees, "Though it is the natural course of a relationship to have ups and downs."

"And we did tend to relive things," she points out.

"We did."

They frown at each other, their first awkward moment in the whole date. Ruby sets her fork down, "I'm still sorting through it and I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it all yet."

Archie agrees, quiet now as they finish and leave. She's not sure where to take the conversation and the walk to her door isn't long.

"Well," she frowns, not liking that they're leaving things between them awkward and not ready to explore bad memories, "maybe we could try this again sometime."

"Maybe," he sighs.

Ruby gives him a hug. He hugs her back tightly and catches her arm when she turns to go. She pauses, gives him a questioning look. He steps closer. She wets her lips and closes the distance between them.

"I think the thing we have to ask ourselves, is if it was the curse keeping us apart or our own fears," Archie says as his eyes meet hers and his hands settle on her hips.

"A little of both," she admits, "and I'm tired of being afraid."

"Me too," he agrees as their lips meet.


End file.
